W C Fields From The Ziegfeld Follies And Broadway Stage To The Screen

Author : Arthur Frank Wertheim
Publisher : Springer
Page : 270 pages
File Size : 42,6 Mb
Release : 2017-01-16
Category : Performing Arts
ISBN : 9781349949861

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W.C. Fields from the Ziegfeld Follies and Broadway Stage to the Screen by Arthur Frank Wertheim Pdf

This book reveals how Fields became a character comedian while performing in Broadway’s most illustrious revue, the Ziegfeld Follies. As the first biography to use the recently opened Fields Papers at the Motion Picture Academy, the book explores how Fields years as a Follies entertainer portraying a beleaguered husband and a captivating conman became a landmark turning point in his career, leading to his fame as a masterful film comedian. The book also untangles a web of mysteries about Fields’s turbulent private life, from the heartrending stories about the tragic relationship with his calculating wife who refused to divorce him, to his estranged son controlled by his mother, to the seven-year extra-marital affair with a chorus girl that led to the birth of an unwanted child. This electrifying saga illuminates a complex dual personality, whirling from tenderness to brusqueness, who endured so much anguish in order to bring the gift of laughter to millions. Although vilified by Ziegfeld and assailed by demons, Fields survived the cutthroat rigors of Broadway show biz to become a legendary American iconoclast and cultural icon.

Author : William M. Simons
Publisher : McFarland
Page : 297 pages
File Size : 51,5 Mb
Release : 2022-05-02
Category : Sports & Recreation
ISBN : 9781476678382

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The Cooperstown Symposium on Baseball and American Culture, 2019 and 2021 by William M. Simons Pdf

Selected from the two most recent proceedings of the Cooperstown Symposium on Baseball and American Culture (2019 and 2021), this collection of essays explores subject matter centered both inside and beyond the ballpark. Fifteen contributors offer critical commentary on a range of topics, including controversial decisions on the field and in Hall of Fame elections; baseball's historical role as a rite of passage for boys; two worthy catchers who never received their due; the genesis and development of the minor leagues; and baseball's place in popular culture.

Author : A. Wertheim
Publisher : Springer
Page : 264 pages
File Size : 47,9 Mb
Release : 2016-11-09
Category : Performing Arts
ISBN : 9781137300676

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W. C. Fields from Burlesque and Vaudeville to Broadway by A. Wertheim Pdf

W. C. Fields was a virtuoso comedian, often called a comic genius, legendary iconoclast, and "Great Man," who brought so much laughter to millions while enduring so much anguish. This book explores his little-known, long stage career from 1898 to 1930, which had a major influence on his comedy and screen presence.

Author : Arthur Frank Wertheim
Publisher : Palgrave Macmillan
Page : 0 pages
File Size : 42,5 Mb
Release : 2019-01-21
Category : Performing Arts
ISBN : 1137473290

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W. C. Fields from Sound Film and Radio Comedy to Stardom by Arthur Frank Wertheim Pdf

W. C. Fields is known as a virtuoso comedian and legendary iconoclast who gave the gift of laughter to multitudes. As the first author to use the newly-opened Fields Papers at the Academy library, Arthur Frank Wertheim illuminates the comedian’s arduous ascent to stardom during Hollywood's golden age. The book reveals details of Fields’s turbulent private life, from his wife's refusal to divorce, to his estranged son, and to his fleeting relationships with women. Here is a portrait of an aggrieved artist whose emotional anguish found refuge in his poignant comedy about life’s frustrations and the human condition. This third volume in Wertheim's trilogy documents Fields's rise to iconic status during the counterculture 1960s, creating a legacy of his comedy for generations to come.

Author : Cynthia Brideson,Sara Brideson
Publisher : University Press of Kentucky
Page : 577 pages
File Size : 48,6 Mb
Release : 2015-06-23
Category : Biography & Autobiography
ISBN : 9780813160900

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Ziegfeld and His Follies by Cynthia Brideson,Sara Brideson Pdf

In this definitive biography, Cynthia Brideson and Sara Brideson offer a comprehensive look at both the life and legacy of Florenz Ziegfeld Jr. Drawing on a wide range of sources, they provide a lively and well-rounded account of Ziegfeld as a father, a husband, a son, a friend, a lover, and an alternately ruthless and benevolent employer. Lavishly illustrated, this is an intimate and in-depth portrait of a figure who profoundly changed American entertainment.

Author : Paul A. Cantor
Publisher : University Press of Kentucky
Page : 211 pages
File Size : 49,8 Mb
Release : 2019-05-17
Category : Social Science
ISBN : 9780813177335

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Pop Culture and the Dark Side of the American Dream by Paul A. Cantor Pdf

The many con men, gangsters, and drug lords portrayed in popular culture are examples of the dark side of the American dream. Viewers are fascinated by these twisted versions of heroic American archetypes, like the self-made man and the entrepreneur. Applying the critical skills he developed as a Shakespeare scholar, Paul A. Cantor finds new depth in familiar landmarks of popular culture. He invokes Shakespearean models to show that the concept of the tragic hero can help us understand why we are both repelled by and drawn to figures such as Vito and Michael Corleone or Walter White. Beginning with Huckleberry Finn and ending with The Walking Dead, Cantor also uncovers the link between the American dream and frontier life. In imaginative variants of a Wild West setting, popular culture has served up disturbing—and yet strangely compelling—images of what happens when people move beyond the borders of law and order. Cantor demonstrates that, at its best, popular culture raises thoughtful questions about the validity and viability of the American dream, thus deepening our understanding of America itself.

Author : Thomas S. Hischak
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 128 pages
File Size : 50,9 Mb
Release : 2008-06-02
Category : Performing Arts
ISBN : 9780199887323

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The Oxford Companion to the American Musical by Thomas S. Hischak Pdf

From the silver screen to the Great White Way, small community theatres to television sets, the musical has long held a special place in America's heart and history. Now, in The Oxford Companion to the American Musical, readers who flocked to the movies to see An American in Paris or Chicago, lined up for tickets to West Side Story or Rent, or crowded around their TVs to watch Cinderella or High School Musical can finally turn to a single book for details about them all. For the first time, this popular subject has an engaging and authoritative book as thrilling as the performances themselves. With more than two thousand entries, this illustrated guide offers a wealth of information on musicals, performers, composers, lyricists, producers, choreographers, and much more. Biographical entries range from early stars Fred Astaire, Bing Crosby, Mary Martin, and Mae West to contemporary show-stoppers Nathan Lane, Savion Glover, and Kristin Chenoweth, while composers Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, Richard Rodgers, and Andrew Lloyd Webber all have articles, and the choreography of Bob Fosse, Tommy Tune, and Debbie Allen receives due examination. The plays and films covered range from modern hits like Mamma Mia! and Moulin Rouge! to timeless classics such as Yankee Doodle Dandy and Show Boat. Also, numerous musicals written specifically for television appear throughout, and many entries follow a work-Babes in Toyland for example-as it moves across genres, from stage, to film, to television. The Companion also includes cross references, a comprehensive listing of recommended recordings and further reading, a useful chronology of all the musicals described in the book, plus a complete index of Tony Award and Academy Award winners. Whether you are curious about Singin' in the Rain or Spamalot, or simply adore The Wizard of Oz or Grease, this well-researched and entertaining resource is the first place to turn for reliable information on virtually every aspect of the American musical.

Author : Frank Scheide,Hooman Mehran,Dan Kamin
Publisher : McFarland
Page : 229 pages
File Size : 48,6 Mb
Release : 2006-09-28
Category : Performing Arts
ISBN : 9780786424252

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Chaplin's "Limelight" and the Music Hall Tradition by Frank Scheide,Hooman Mehran,Dan Kamin Pdf

Charles Spencer Chaplin was a stage performer before he was a filmmaker, and it was in English music hall that he learned the rudiments of his art. The last film he made in the United States, Limelight, was a tribute to the music hall days of his youth. As a parallel to Chaplin's past, the film was set in 1914, the year he left the stage for a Hollywood career. This collection of essays examines Limelight and the history of English music hall. Featuring contributions from the world's top Chaplin and music hall historians, as well as previously unpublished interviews with collaborators who worked on Limelight, the book offers new insight into one of Chaplin's most important pictures and the British form of entertainment that inspired it. Essays consider how and why Chaplin made Limelight, other artists who came out of English music hall, and the film's international appeal, among other topics. The book is filled with rare photographs, many published for the first time, sourced from the Chaplin archives and the private collections of other performers and co-stars.

Author : Wes D. Gehring
Publisher : Univ. Press of Mississippi
Page : 214 pages
File Size : 45,9 Mb
Release : 1994
Category : Electronic
ISBN : 1617034037

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Groucho and W.C. Fields by Wes D. Gehring Pdf

Author : A. Wertheim
Publisher : Palgrave Macmillan
Page : 264 pages
File Size : 42,9 Mb
Release : 2014-01-14
Category : Performing Arts
ISBN : 1349671444

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W. C. Fields from Burlesque and Vaudeville to Broadway by A. Wertheim Pdf

W. C. Fields was a virtuoso comedian, often called a comic genius, legendary iconoclast, and "Great Man," who brought so much laughter to millions while enduring so much anguish. This book explores his little-known, long stage career from 1898 to 1930, which had a major influence on his comedy and screen presence.

Author : Will Rogers
Publisher : University of Oklahoma Press
Page : 300 pages
File Size : 48,8 Mb
Release : 1992
Category : Performing Arts
ISBN : 0806123575

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Will Rogers at the Ziegfeld Follies by Will Rogers Pdf

A collection of Rogers' writings and observations includes selections from his weekly articles and previously unpublished excerpts from his notes and correspondence

Author : Ann Ommen van der Merwe
Publisher : Scarecrow Press
Page : 278 pages
File Size : 49,7 Mb
Release : 2009-03-26
Category : Music
ISBN : 9780810867161

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The Ziegfeld Follies by Ann Ommen van der Merwe Pdf

This documented history reconstructs the song performances of each annual production of the Ziegfeld Follies from 1907 to 1931. In so doing, it demonstrates the important role of song in facilitating the comedy and spectacle for which the Follies are better known.

Author : Scott C. Martin
Publisher : SAGE Publications
Page : 1674 pages
File Size : 47,5 Mb
Release : 2014-12-16
Category : Reference
ISBN : 9781483331089

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The SAGE Encyclopedia of Alcohol by Scott C. Martin Pdf

Alcohol consumption goes to the very roots of nearly all human societies. Different countries and regions have become associated with different sorts of alcohol, for instance, the “beer culture” of Germany, the “wine culture” of France, Japan and saki, Russia and vodka, the Caribbean and rum, or the “moonshine culture” of Appalachia. Wine is used in religious rituals, and toasts are used to seal business deals or to celebrate marriages and state dinners. However, our relation with alcohol is one of love/hate. We also regulate it and tax it, we pass laws about when and where it’s appropriate, we crack down severely on drunk driving, and the United States and other countries tried the failed “Noble Experiment” of Prohibition. While there are many encyclopedias on alcohol, nearly all approach it as a substance of abuse, taking a clinical, medical perspective (alcohol, alcoholism, and treatment). The SAGE Encyclopedia of Alcohol examines the history of alcohol worldwide and goes beyond the historical lens to examine alcohol as a cultural and social phenomenon, as well—both for good and for ill—from the earliest days of humankind.

Author : Sheila Curran Bernard
Publisher : Taylor & Francis
Page : 358 pages
File Size : 43,6 Mb
Release : 2022-07-08
Category : Performing Arts
ISBN : 9781000588637

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Documentary Storytelling by Sheila Curran Bernard Pdf

For nearly two decades, Documentary Storytelling has reached filmmakers and filmgoers worldwide with its unique focus on the key ingredient for success in the global documentary marketplace: storytelling. As this revised, updated fifth edition makes clear, nonfiction storytelling is not limited to character-driven journeys, but instead encompasses the diverse ways in which today’s top documentarians reach audiences with content that is creative, original, and often inspirational, all without sacrificing the integrity that gives documentary its power. This book is filled with practical advice for writers, producers, directors, editors, cinematographers, and others committed to reality-based filmmaking that seeks to reach audiences, raise awareness, address social issues, illuminate the human condition, and even entertain. In this new edition, Emmy Award-winning filmmaker and author Sheila Curran Bernard offers: a closer look at the way ethical nonfiction filmmakers take creative, authorial leaps while also remaining transparent with audiences; new tools for understanding how documentaries are structured, how they may rearrange time for storytelling effect, and how a simple narrative throughline can convey complexity without being a conventional "hero’s journey"; new conversations with filmmakers and educators including Dawn Porter, Madison Hamburg, Tracy Heather Strain, June Cross, Heidi Gronauer, and Julie Casper Roth, and another look at conversations with Stanley Nelson and Orlando von Einsiedel. Please visit the book’s website, available at www.documentarystorytelling.com, for further information, related articles, and more.

Author : Stanley Green
Publisher : New York : Oxford University Press
Page : 360 pages
File Size : 55,6 Mb
Release : 1981
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN : UOM:49015002920271

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Encyclopaedia of the Musical Film by Stanley Green Pdf

A basic reference book for anyone interested in musical films, it contains over 1600 entries covering not only the most important actors, composers, lyricists, directors, choreographers, and producers but also the most memorable songs and films.